Star-crossed Prophecy
by LunaTide14
Summary: Entering the world of The 100, set after the battle of Mount Weather. The last thing Lexa did was betray Clarke. They will face many challenges and the ultimate prophecy. Will Clexa survive?
1. The Grounder Within

Chapter 1 - The Grounder Within

Authors Note:

Hi Everyone! This is my first ever fan fiction story, so I am more than open to any feedback and suggestions! I thought I would kick my profile off with a Clexa based story. I hope you enjoy!

Backstory:

This is set after the battle of Mount Weather. Lexa did betray Clarke which lead Clarke going missing for 3 months. My story begins during those 3 months.

 _Italics = thoughts_

 _Italics in quotation = Trigedasleng (Grounders language)_

 **Star-crossed Prophecy**

Chapter 1 - The Grounder Within

For the first time in decades, the grounders were free. They were free to hunt, sleep and most importantly live without fear. The mountain men had been eradicated. No more will their people be stolen and turned into reapers. No more will they have the worry of having to finding immediate shelter from the acid fog. Their number one enemy was no more.

Uncertainty was still in the air amongst the grounders and the sky people as Lexa had betrayed them last minute. She had a choice that had to be made in a moment. She had seconds to decide whether to be the harsh Commander everyone respected, or to stick to her loyalties with the Skaikru. One decision saved all her people with no risks, no deaths. The other option, sticking to the original plan, hundreds could die on both sides. The battle in the Commanders head in that moment was its own personal battlefield. She knew that if she took the easy route, Clarke would never forgive her. She would lose her only current source of happiness. Everything that they could become, that they could build together, all hope of that would be gone. That thought alone caused Lexa to tense her fists. But once the offer was made, she couldn't take the hard route. She had to, as always, put her people and their lives in her hands. She took the deal.

Clarke couldn't understand. She wouldn't understand. As soon as the words left the Commanders lips, her vision blurred. She slowly fell backwards towards the floor, using her hands to guide her down gently. Her mouth still open slightly, a piercing tone ringed through her ears, her eyes darting into different directions as she tried to process this heart-breaking information. She had been betrayed.

 **Xxxxxxxxx**

Since the sky people had taken out Mount Weather, everything seemed a little more peaceful. The nights were especially quiet, to the point of borderline eerie. The time was not long after midnight, it was a beautiful clear sky with a cold breeze. Three hooded figures lurked in the shadows. They walked quickly with no torches in the hope that they would not be seen. The destination was finally met after a short walk, as they entered what seemed to be an abandoned cottage. The larger figure of the three opened the door for the other two, then slowly closed it behind him, quickly assessing that they had not been followed.

Once inside it still remains silent. The larger man pulled a torch off the wall and lights it. He leant to the ground and moved the dusty red rug to the side which reveals a trap door. The three of them began to walk down the damp, concrete stairs before them, leading them to a very large room. The room was almost empty. The walls were decorated with giant cobwebs and missing bricks. In the middle of the room sat a wooden table, no chairs surrounding it, but a few items on top. The large person ignited the candle on the table, shining enough light to see a map of the area laid out with random red crosses in certain places.

 _"What information do you have for me?"_ said a gentle but stern female voice. The second hooded figure appeared to be a man judging by the deep voice in his answer. _"I'm afraid it is not good news again. We have scouted all over where she would be assumed to be, but still nothi-"._ The woman interrupted him, slamming her fist down on the table. She turned around and began to pace. _"This is not good enough. It has been almost three months with no reported sightings."_ She placed both hands on the table, leaning over the map.

She studied over the large parchment looking at all of the places they have already searched. _"Maybe that is the problem. We are looking in obvious places. Wanheda does not want to be found. Look in every hidden cave within a 50 mile radius of the Skaikru camp_." The woman then turned to the man beside her.

She placed her hands on his shoulders. _"You have always been loyal to me. You have taught me many things. Now it is your turn to learn something."_ Her grip tightened and the man took a sudden deep breath. _"If you do not bring her to me within the next seven days, do not return at all"._

She held the grip a little tighter before letting go and stormed past him, back up the stairs. The larger hooded figure followed with the torch leaving the man alone in darkness, slowing his breathing back down. Once returned to normal he allowed himself to follow out of the meeting point.

 **Xxxxxxxxx**

Not long after first light, Clarke sharply sat up, breathing so heavy it felt like she had ran 10 miles. Sweat dripped down her temples, she darted her eyes in every direction to gather her bearings. She was safe and she was home. She had managed to come across a small gauge in the rocks, big enough for what she needed. This has been her home now for over two months.

She wiped the sweat from her face with the back of her wrist and took deep breaths until her pulse steadied. She had another bad dream. Most nights lately she had very vivid dreams, each one more detailed and longer than the previous. They were never exactly the same, but similar would be an understatement.

The Sky leader took a sip of water from the flask next to her. She could breathe again. What she hated the most was the emotion that controlled her on the morning after. It breaks her. She almost fought back the tears this morning, but in the end, she gave in. She shot to her feet with watery eyes, pulled out her dagger from her waist and threw it at the wall.

When the dagger bounced off the wall, she stormed to where it landed with anger pulsing through her body. The sky leader punched the wall. Gasping for air that was lost from the streaming tears, she leant her back against the now bloody wall, and slid down to sit on the ground. She grabbed the top of her head with both hands as her anger turned to hurt.

"How could you. You did this…I, I don't want to feel this anymore. You abandoned my people so why can't you just leave me alone. Please, just go. Please I'm begging you. Why won't you leave my head. I don't want to dream about you anymore, it's not fair. Please I'm begging you." She whispers to herself the words she wished were out loud to Lexa.

Clarke closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath. Once opened she saw the dagger next to her. After staring at it for a few minutes, she finally picked it up and got to her feet. She walked over to the wall opposite and carved a vertical line at the end of what seems to be a tally chart. "92. 92 days."

The light from the sun seeped slightly through the cracks of the 'door' to her new home. Clarke walked towards the boulder blocking her in, and with a huff, she pushed it to the right. She stood there for a minute with her eyes closed taking in the slight warmth on her face. Although it has been a while now, she still found time to appreciate the beauty that is Earth.

The Sky leader shoved her dagger back into its case on her belt, slung her handmade bow and arrows over her shoulder and covered the small cave back up. Moss has grown all over the walls and boulder, so it is a very slim chance of someone finding it. She walked less than half a mile before an opening in the woods is seen ahead. The noise of the steady stream flowing grew louder in her ears.

Clarke always started the day this way. Heads straight to the secluded stream to wash the day before away as well as the emotions from her dreams. Before getting in the water, she took off her boots and sits on the edge, dipping her feet in. The water is getting colder by the day. She looked down at her rippling reflection. She noticed that the red is starting to wash out of her blonde hair. She made a note to herself to find more berries to wipe the colour back.

As Clarke sits what seems so peacefully, she can't help but fight flashbacks to her dream. She tries not to think of them as soon as she awakens, hoping to forget. But she never forgets. Last nights was especially hard as it involved Bellamy. The wave of sadness sends shivers down her spine. She missed him. But in the dream, she hated him. Clarke knew that it wasn't real, but the emotion lingered still.

 _The orange smoke from the fire filled the girl's vision. Two Skaikru guards with guns brought someone forward with a brown sack on their head. The sack had a black symbol on it. It looked like a flaming tree in a circle. Bellamy walked toward the prisoner. More people start to gather round forming a circle around the captive. They start chanting something that Clarke couldn't quite make out. It sounded as if it was in a different language. Bellamy nodded to the guards holding the prisoner for them to remove the sack. It is Lexa. The Commanders face stayed strong and stared straight in to the onlooking eyes of Clarke. A tear started to roll from Lexa's eyes, and she mimed "I'm so sorry." One of the guards behind her kicked the back of her legs causing Lexa to fall to her knees. Bellamy aimed his gun at the Commanders head and pulled the trigger._

That is when Clarke usually wakes up. It is not always the same death, and it is not always by the same person, but the result is always the same. Lexa always asked for forgiveness and she always appeared with the same sack on her head with the same symbol of the burning tree in a circle.

Clarke wiped another tear from her cheek and told herself to be strong. She looked around to make sure no one is there – not that anyone ever is – and started to remove her clothes. She has acquired more cuts and bruises over the last two months on her own, than in her whole life. Slowing herself into the water, she shivered. It has become too cold for her to enjoy it anymore. She washed herself as quick as she can and rushed to put her clothes on, despite still being soaked to her skin. The now Blonde again, picked up her bow to hunt in the woods.

 **Xxxxxxxxx**

The Commander of the coalition sat what was obviously very impatiently on her throne in the capital. If she wasn't twirling her dagger through her fingers, she was tapping its sharp edge on the arm of her chair. Titus, her adviser, was stood to her right. He stepped closer to the Commander informing her that everyone had been seated. Lexa looked at Titus and held her left hand in the air towards the people before her. Silence soon filled the room.

Lexa slowly turned her head to the people, still sat slouched in her throne. She had not stopped wearing her war makeup on her face since the retreat in Mount Weather. The people didn't know why this was, as the war had ended. The Commander had saved her people. For all they knew, it was a time of celebration.

Lexa finally stood up, straightened her back and looked at the ambassadors with a strong face. _"Ambassadors, thank you for joining me today in the capital. We have not yet been able to gather since the war. We have all been busy. Peace seems to be sweeping through the clans and I pray for that to continue"._

 _"LIES! THESE ARE ALL LIES!"_ A man from the back of the room shouted replying to the Commanders speech. Titus quickly jumped in front of Lexa and ordered the man to step forward. Lexa held her hand to Titus. _"Nolan, of the Ice Nation, step forward"_ said the Commander. A tall, red haired, broad man stood from his seat and slowly walked onto the red carpet that lead to Lexa.

 _"It appears you have forgotten your loyalties to your Commander. Do you need reminding?"_ The Brunette lifted her chin higher after she threatened Nolan. After no response she continued. _"Do explain why you feel I speak lies to the room"._ She sat back on her throne, twirling the dagger in her hands again.

Nolan didn't hesitate to speak out this time. He turned around to face everyone else in the room, with his back to Lexa. _"The great Commander speaks of peace, when our enemy remains. Skaikru have already killed hundreds of our people, are we going to let it reach thousands? We are not safe until they are all dead! DOWN WITH WANHEDA!"_

A few other Ambassadors started to cheer and clap which was soon silenced by the Commander. She stood up again, still twirling her dagger. "Are you finished, Nolan?" Still faced away from Lexa, a smirk appeared on his face. " _After that speech, it has made me question your abilities as Ice Nations ambassador."_ Lexa said calmly. Titus raised his voice and ordered Nolan to face the Commander.

With a remained grin on his face, he slowly turned around to face the Commander. By the time he was fully turned, Lexa's dagger was in his right eye. Nolan opened his mouth, but no words came out. He dropped to his knees while gasps filled the room.

 _"Does anyone else want to defy me today?" The room held its silence. "Good, let us begin our meeting"._

 **Xxxxxxxxx**

After a very stressful meeting with the 12 clans, Lexa needed to calm herself down. This was usually done in few different ways. Today, she needed to fight. She marched onto the main training ground and watched a pair of men spar with each other. The first man Hayuk, must have been over 6ft3 with a long brown beard plaited down to his chest. The second man Riko, was a smaller blonde man, only just of age, but very quick. After they had finished and Riko manged to floor Hayuk, the Commander gave a few tips to the both of them.

" _Let us play 'Down to the knife', the three of us"_ Lexa spoke to the men. _"I understand that you might not have yet played this game Riko? I will explain the game. We each have the same three weapons on our body. We start with a spear in our hands, when that is knocked away, we take out our sword until we are left with just a knife. The game ends when one person has been disarmed of all three weapons. The higher value blade you still have in your hands at the end (highest being the spear) the higher the points. Get it? Good. Grab your gear - that's an order!"_

The Commander was clearly frustrated just explaining the rules, but she needed to let this anger out and they were the only people training. After less than ten minutes, Lexa stood undefeated. Impressively, youngster Riko managed to swipe the spear from her hands.

She pulled him to one side to congratulate him on his performance. Their arms slapped together in their grounder version of a handshake and she gave him some final pointers. _"Go again, just the two of you. I will watch."_ She observed, but her mind was elsewhere. Thoughts of the meeting spiralled around her head, worried about Skaikru.

Lexa knew she had to do something, but what? And how was she supposed to do anything without Clarke leading her people? She let out a small sigh. _Clarke wouldn't forgive me for betraying her even if she wasn't missing._ She thought to herself. Her stomach suddenly felt the wind knocked out of it. Lexa worried for Clarke's safety. She was almost certain she was alive, how strong the sky leader was, but she also missed her.

The Commander quickly noticed that her guard was slightly down as her mind raced. Unaware, her hand held her stomach from the feeling her thoughts left her. Noticing, she placed her hands to her side, and held her head high. She spoke briefly to the soldiers training and walked back to her room. She was tired. Today had been hard and she wanted to just be alone.

Lexa managed to reach her quarters with no distraction. She walked into her room, closed the door behind her and took off her armour. The leader's room, as expected, was beautiful. It had been passed down from Commander to Commander, but she had made it her own. This is the one place she was truly alone - it was her sanctuary.

The furs neatly laid out on her bed looked so enticing. She walked towards the bed and stared for a moment. Throughout the day Lexa was exhausted, but she didn't want to sleep. Her dreams these days are harder to face than reality.

 **Xxxxxxxxx**

Within the walls of Camp Jaha, things were slowly starting to come together. Anyone above the age of 15 was trained for battle; Guns were not allowed to be held until 16 however. Training sessions for the general population, began every morning after breakfast. The Arks already made guards had designated time slots throughout the day to train separately.

The schedules became a daily routine. They combined the techniques that the grounders had taught them before the battle of Mt Weather, and what they already knew. It was hard work, but everyone had to be prepared. The Mountain Men may be gone, but the truce with the grounders broke the second Lexa walked away.

The sessions would begin with basic stamina and weight training. This might include running laps around the outside of the camp, sprints and press-ups. After a quick break, the class would move on to self-defence and hand to hand combat. As people improved their skills, they were allowed to move on to practicing lightly with weapons. The session would end with concentrating on balance, stance and learning the ability to clear one's mind.

At this point, everyone had a designated job. The number of guards rose as security was a top priority. People were being trained in medical, engineering, weapon crafting, hunting and a large sum of people worked their newly acquired farm land. It started to feel like a community again as they all pulled their weight and worked together. There was however, one thing missing… Clarke.

Each morning in the grounded Ark, a meeting is held by Chancellor Abby and the heads of the camps posts. The gathering always includes the same people: Vice Chancellor Kane, Bellamy head of the guards, Octavia head of training, Raven head of engineering and a few other representatives for supplies, farming and building.

On this particular morning, Abby was the last to enter. Judging by the look on her face, today was not a good day. She listened to the daily needs and job lists, allowing Kane to take control of the meeting. Her mind was elsewhere. As the session came to an end, she asked Octavia and Kane to stay behind.

"It has been three weeks since our last search for my daughter. I'm not waiting any longer Kane. I did everything you advised we should do to start building our community, but now I need to prioritise Clarke." Abby hadn't looked either of them in the eye while she spoke, she just stated down at the metal table before her. The chancellor pushed her hands off the table and back to a standing position before she finally looked at Kane.

"I will lead the search party" Octavia didn't hesitate to put herself forward. "That's why you are here, I knew you would Octavia, thank you." Abbey replied gratefully, before looking back at Kane. His face looked defeated. The Vice Chancellor let out a sigh before speaking. "Okay. You are right, it is time to look again. But this time, I'm leading the search." And with that, he walked out of the room with Octavia following. Without Abby noticing, a small smile appeared on her face. She still had hope.

 **Xxxxxxxxx**

Clarke learnt many things since being on her own - despite it being only a couple of months. The most important thing whilst hunting, is stealth. She learnt that every leaf, every stick on the ground matters, impacting if she eats. Careful footwork is key.

The sky leader has been stalking her prey for just over half a mile. She normally chose the smaller animals, rabbits or maybe a fox, but today she wanted bigger. The two headed deer was yet to notice the girl lurking closely behind.

As the deer stopped momentarily to graze at a nearby bush, their head bent low, Clarke silently moved closer. Every step was as precise as the last. Carefully moving her feet as a ballerina would across the stage. Determination in each step. Once in her final position, Clarke slowly drew her bow – wary not to disturb a single branch in her surroundings. Loading her arrow, she did her best to focus on one of the deer's head's. Pulling the string back, she felt the bow giving slightly, nowhere near as sturdy and supportive as she had used before. She had to admit, her bow craftsmanship left something to be desired. She mused to herself about not giving up her day job… Focusing back on the situation at hand, she tried again to pull back the string. Once she felt in the best possible position to attack, she slowly inhaled one final deep breath, before releasing both the arrow and the air from her lungs. She knew immediately after executing her shot, there was no chance.

The deer's head – still intact - sprung up before racing forward as fast as it could. Clarke tensed her right fist, gripping the bow tight with anger. She glanced at what could have been her meal, creating more space between them. She let out a sigh when suddenly the deer flew with force to the right, pinned to a tree with a spear. Clarke shot to the ground and crawled behind the closest tree, trying to hold her breath. _Grounders_ she thought to herself.

"I know you are here, I have been following you." A female voice spoke out, but the owner could not be seen. Clarke, familiar with the voice, stepped out from her hiding spot. "Okay, you win, this one is yours." The sky leader replied to the female voice.

A tall, slim woman, maybe a few years younger than her mother, made herself known from behind a large rock. Her long blonde hair sat just above her waist in a singular, neat plait. The mysterious woman had kind eyes, but a tough exterior. "I couldn't let you have today's prize. You have done well the past week, but you made a mistake and need to learn. No kill, means no food." The woman spoke in English as she elegantly walked over to her meal. She placed her foot on the deer with enough pressure that the spear slid out with ease.

Clarke started to walk towards the woman. "How long have you been following me for?" The woman smirked at Clarke's question. "Only since your trip to the stream" she replied.

"Is there something you want from me? I don't even know your name. You appear every few days, for a brief talk and then disappear again." The leader waved her hands around in frustration.

The woman took a few steps forward, not losing eye contact with Clarke. "Maybe I want to kill you…Wanheda."

Clarkes mouth opened in shock before she quickly closed it again. _How does she know who I am?_ Clarke quickly responded with "Well, I highly doubt that. You would have done it already."

The grounder chuckled to herself. "Come, join me for this meal. You look hungry". The woman turned and walked back towards the deer on the forest floor. Clarke couldn't believe what she was hearing, a random woman knew who she was, had been following her for many days now, and then finally invites her for dinner? "Why should I trust you? How do I know this isn't some sort of plan to capture me?" The sky leader tried to hide the nerves in her voice.

"You do not know." The grounder looked back at Wanheda as she spoke. "But as you said, If I wanted you dead, you would be already. Now follow me, let's eat."

Clarke took a deep breath, rolled her eyes and helped the stranger carry their meal. She couldn't believe what she was doing herself, but there was something in the grounders eyes that she trusted.

 **Xxxxxxxxx**

 _Lexa sits on her throne in the middle of a small opening in the woods. In front of her a large fire. It is silent. She counts thirteen of her subjects before her; gathering wood and throwing it onto the fire causing it to increase in size and heat. Feeling the warmth on her face, orange smoke fills the air around her. The Commander closes her eyes. She hears chanting from her subjects repeating the same phrase over and over. "Wamplei kom union."_

 _Once Lexa processed what the words meant, she quickly opened her eyes to see her hands and feet tied to the chair. She started to panic. Sweat emerged from her forehead as she realised her surroundings. She noticed her people have a prisoner tied to a tree next to the now too powerful fire. "CLARKE!" the Commander ordered her release, but no one obeyed._

 _Titus approached his leader and kneeled before her. He held a wooden box in his hands with a unique marking at the seal. Lexa blinked twice to try and remove some of the smoke from her eyes, she couldn't see clearly. The adviser opened the box to reveal his Heda's dagger. After a moment that appeared to be of prayer, Titus looked up at the Commander simply explaining that it must be done._

 _The surrounding grounders formed a line, each taking their turn in piercing the dagger slowly into Wanheda's body. Hearing the shrieks leaving the blonde's mouth, knocks the air out of Lexa's. The leader uses all her strength to break free from the ropes. The tears now rolling down her cheeks, add to her hindered vision._

 _As soon as her second hand is loose, she sprints forward toward the girl that she feels for. Falling flat on her face, she remained still for a moment with her head buried in a deep puddle. She didn't think to untie her feet. The deed had been done. Lexa was too late. Clarke was dead._

Lexa was awoken by the sound of a scream she quickly realised was coming from her own mouth. She closed her mouth and sat up drastically, panting, looking around the room. Glancing from wall to wall, she started to calm down noticing the familiar sights of her own room.

She slowly moved until sat at the edge of her bed and realised she forgot to take her boots off; the exhaustion consumed so much of her lately, little things have gone amiss. Finally, the Commander gained the stamina to stand and walked zombie-like over to a wooden table underneath a window, which held a basin.

The brunette leaned over the water, staring at her reflection for what seemed like a lifetime. She stared at her emotionless expression, understanding why people struggled reading her. The Commanders face says nothing, but her stomach felt intensely. Guilt, sadness, worry. She feels everything but the strength she successfully emits to those that surround her.

She gently dips her hands in the water, disrupting the image she is tired of seeing. Leaning forward, Lexa splashed her face, wiping only a little of her black war makeup away. She tilted her head back and looked at the ceiling before reliving a deep breath she wasn't aware she was holding. The Commander put on her coat and started to head outside. She needed to escape from her own mind. he needed to meditate.

 **Xxxxxxxxx**

The hooded man left the cottage without a trace and returned back to his home. He laid in bed, struggling to sleep as his thoughts consumed him. He knew he had less than 7 days to find Wanheda, or he could never return home. Thankfully sleep finally found him. He needed as much energy as he could possibly gather, as he would leave for his mission tomorrow evening at sundown.

The next evening arrived quicker than the man had hoped. He gathered 3 of his best warriors and begun his journey towards the perimeter of camp Jaha. A prediction of a day's ride to the place in mind, a day to return, leaves only 5 days to find the Skaikru leader.

They had been travelling non-stop for approximately 6 hours. They were ahead of schedule. It must have been a couple hours past midnight, when they decided to make camp for some rest. The 4 of them would rotate guard duty throughout the night so they could all gain back their stamina. They came across a hidden stream enclosed by the trees; they decided not far into the woods would be an ideal place to rest.

The sun rose quicker than the party would have liked. Two of the accompanying soldiers left to find their breakfast. After their quick meal of chewy rabbit, the leader of the group and one other, walked to the stream to refill their water.

The hooded man looked out at the hidden gem before him. He was not known to leave his home often, so it was no surprise he had never seen it before. It was a clear blue sky, with an added icy touch to the wind. As the sunlight hit the water, he breathed in the scent of the changing season, and let out a deep breath.

Then something caught his eye. He walked over to the left side of the stream, not taking his eyes of the object in sight. Once reached, he crouched down, and picked up what seemed to be an arrow. In a normal circumstance, he wouldn't bat an eyelid, but there was something about this arrow. _This has been terribly crafted_ – he thought to himself.

He picked up the ammo to inspect it closely. Stood in thought for a few minutes, the man placed it on his person and returned back to the others. They gathered their belongings, mounted their horses, and continued their journey.

They continued to ride for the length of time the sun remained out. They knew that they were close to their destination, less than 5 miles. The decision to walk the remainder of the journey was taken, as they did not wish to alert or startle the upcoming clan.

They arrived a little after dark. The hooded figure stood in the middle of what seemed to be an open space, in front of a lit fire. He looked around, there was no sign of any life. It was quiet, too quiet. The man called out a name _"Dante, reveal yourself, I come in peace wishing to rest"._

Suddenly a tall, muscular man with short curly hair fell from the sky. Dante stood at ease while facing the imposter in his home. The two men grabbed each other's right arm as a sign of mutual respect _._

The man pulled his hood down revealing his identity. Dante looked at his old friend stood before him. _"Adviser Titus, welcome to the Tree-top clan."_


	2. Chapter 2 - Finders Keepers

Chapter 2 – Finders Keepers.

Authors Note:

Hi Everyone! I hope you enjoyed my first chapter and that things are starting to add up for you. If you haven't figured things out yet, they will reveal more in this chapter. Thanks for reading!

 _Italics = thoughts_

 _Italics in quotation = Trigedasleng (Grounders language_

 **Star-crossed Prophecy**

Chapter 2 – Finders Keepers.

It must have been at least a mile from where the grounder woman stole Clarke's prey, but it felt more like they had been trekking for 5. The Skaikru leader hadn't eaten today and was starting to feel the effects in her dizzy head.

"How much further?" Clarke asked the mysterious woman. The grounder shook her head and laughed to herself. "You Skaikru people are so impatient. No matter, we are here. Welcome to my home."

Clarke looked before her to what must have been an old wooden water mill. It was situated on the same river that lead to her secluded stream. The forest ahead stood tall on some elevated land. She liked the natural privacy that mother nature had created. Clarke took her attention back to the wooden structure – it has clearly had some hard graft over the years, replacing panels and holes in the roof. It was beautiful.

The woman allowed Clarke to take in the environment. If anything, she stood with pride as her hard work was being appreciated. After a moment, she told Clarke to come inside and sit down, whilst she prepared their meal. The grounder skinned the deer placing the fur to one side and hoisted the animal to its position over the now burning fire.

The sky leader took a seat in what she assumed to be a salvage from before the nuclear war. It was a red leather arm chair, with many patches that just added to its character. The blonde looked around the room. She couldn't help but feel at ease by her surroundings. A short, but long wooden table sat in front of the two armchairs with only a book and a candle on. The right-hand wall was almost filled by a clearly handmade book shelf reaching almost the ceiling, Clarke was sat in awe. The object that when noticed, consumed her attention was a medium sized, landscape painting of the surrounding area. It was breath-taking.

As the leader grew more and more captivated by the brushwork and detail, she felt her face moving closer to the artwork. The front door swung open. For a minute Clarke had forgotten where she was. The woman was halfway through the door with her hands full, allowing herself to place them on the table before speaking.

"It's Celia, my name that is." Clarke was already facing her from the shock caused by her grand entrance. "Do you like art, Wanheda?". Clarke put her hand up towards the woman and pulled a disgusted face. "Don't call me that" She quickly snapped. "And yes, It's incredible. I like to…well I mean, I used to draw." She looked down at her feet.

Celia noticed that is must be a soft subject. She gestured her hand to one of the chairs before asking Clarke to sit. Clarke nodded with a slight smile as she returned to the red armchair. The grounder handed the blonde a cup full of wine.

"Here, Clarke of Skaikru, not to be called Wanheda, drink." Clarke couldn't help but look suspicious of the drink. Celia rolled her eyes and picked up the two cups. She took a sip, swished it around, swallowed and opened showing Clarke nothing remained in her mouth.

"Poison is a weak man's weapon. It is wine, enjoy. Food will be ready shortly." With that note, she stood up and began walking outside when Clarke called her name. Celia turned to face her. "You can call me Clarke."

 **Xxxxxxxxx**

A handful of guards returned to Camp Jaha with a nice selection of meat for the next few days meals. They carried the animals through the gates like trophies, it was starting to feel more natural each day. Training had long finished and everyone (that wasn't on the night shift) was finalising their day jobs and preparing to settle down to their new rooms for the evening.

In the past few hours, Kane had been preparing for the search party for Clarke that he was to lead. He had gathered tents, plenty of water, berries, lighters and a few other essentials. The vice Chancellor had asked his acquired recruits to gather near the front gate at 6pm after some food. Once everyone had arrived Kane started to explain his plan.

"We have left it too long since we last looked for Clarke. I thought the best thing to do would be for Raven to drive the 4 of us in the Jeep, just past the 30 mile clearing we have already searched. Octavia, you will be following behind on your horse. I have already asked Raven, she is fine with it. Once there, she will return the Jeep back to camp. This is where our search would begin. If we are needing to send a message back to camp, Octavia, you can ride back as quick as you can. Does that sound okay so far to everyone?"

Octavia, Lincoln, Bellamy and Monty nodded in approval to Kane. The vice Chancellor handed everyone their bags. "We leave in 10 minutes". With Kane's words, the group dispersed to gather the rest of their things and say goodbye. Kane headed over to collect Raven and asked if she is ready to leave.

The Jeep was loaded, the gates had opened, and Octavia had mounted her horse. It was time. It took a little longer than expected to drive the 30 miles. It was noticeably becoming darker earlier each day. The journey there was mostly silent, with the odd question aimed at Raven about her current project. Octavia on the other hand, was grinning ear to ear behind them, she was in her element.

The group finally arrived about 31 miles away from the camp. They said their goodbyes to Raven and watched her drive off back to camp. As soon as the Jeep is out of sight Kane began to speak. "Let's set up camp and start tomorrow. It's later than I anticipated."

 **Xxxxxxxxx**

Clarke gobbled up every last bite of her evening meal to the bone. She swore she hadn't felt this replenished in weeks. Needless to say, manners were not currently at the top of her priority list. She placed her plate on the table before her and looked at Celia.

"Why did you do this for me?" Clarke asked curiously. Celia took a sip of her wine and without looking back at the girl said "Let us not waste time on small talk. Ask what you really want to know."

Clarke was taken back by the bluntness. "Umm…okay. If you know me as Wanheda and don't want to kill me, what do you want with me?" The grounder took a second to think about her answer.

"Killing you is not my role, Clarke of the Skaikru. I am simply a messenger." Clarke continued to stare at the woman with a confused look on her face. When it became obvious that she wasn't going to elaborate and the silence grew longer, she decided to dig deeper.

"A messenger? From who? What message? Who exactly are you Celia." The grounder finally looked at Clarke with her warm, reassuring eyes, before standing up from her chair. She walked round the table to the blonde, and picked up her cup. "More wine?" she asked as she poured her some anyway.

"Celia, are you going to answer anything or shall I just bombard you with more questions until you finally spe-" the grounder interrupted her. "Shh shh shh. So impatient Wanhe-, I mean Clarke." She walked over to the only window in the room. "It is getting dark, you must stay the night."

Clarke shot up from her chair. "What the hell? You feed me, tell me you have a message which you then refuse to tell me, and then offer me a bed!? Are you crazy?" Celia turned from the window back to Clarke. "Please sit down, we have much to talk about". The Sky leader reluctantly sat back down.

The woman took the plates away to a different room, soon returning with a piece of parchment rolled up in her hands. She sat back down and unravelled the paper. "Tell me what you seen Clarke".

Clarke took a few minutes and studied the image before her. It was a detailed drawing. Not taking her eyes off the image she started to describe her interpretation of the picture.

"I see a fire surrounded by trees. I see death. But this isn't a memorial, this is torture. The person being burnt is still alive." Clarke looked at Celia with her mouth slightly open. "Well done Clarke, look harder, what else do you see?"

The girl lent in closer, looking more in depth before she finally noticed something.  
"There! That man, the symbol on his torch. I know that symbol, I've seen it in my dreams."  
She slumped back in her chair, flashing back to last night's dream.  
 _The burning tree in a circle. But what does it mean?_ She asked herself.

Celia rolled the paper back up, stood up and placed it in a small wooden box with the same marking on the seal. "Clarke, I am sure you have guessed that I live alone. Have you thought why I do?" Clarke remained silent, still processing her busy mind.

"I am seen as different. Not because I fell from the sky. Not because I am the Commander of Death, but because I have a gift. People learnt of my gift and I became exiled from the capital. The image you see is what happens to people like me. I see thing… Visions. They are never fully clear, and I do not always understand them. My role is to pass on these visions to the right people. Nothing more, nothing less. This prophecy was different".

Clarke raised her hand to Celia implying her to slow down for a minute. She took a sip of her drink and felt the eyes of her host gaze upon her. She finally collected her thoughts.

"So, let me get this straight, you are the reason for my messed-up dreams? You're the reason why I can't sleep at night? You haven't given me a message. All you have done is show me a tree on fire and the Commander dying."

Clarke could feel the anger build inside her. She didn't mean to raise her voice, but this was a lot to take in. Inhaling deeply, the girl tried to calm herself down before speaking again.  
"What does it all mean? Celia, I don't understand? Am I supposed to save Lexa? Are you telling me she is going to die? Is she already dead!?" Her mind racing at thought.

Celia quickly knelt before Clarke and held her hands trying to help compose the girl's emotions. "I know this is confusing, it is hard for me to explain. All I can say is that each night, the dream will become more vivid. Listen to it. Look with watchful eyes. Don't fight it.

They held eye contact for a short moment as Clarke's breathing began to slow back to normal. She nodded at the grounder. "You will stay here tonight, Clarke of Skaikru, I insist".

 **Xxxxxxxxx**

Dante welcomed Titus and his fellow warriors into the Tree-top Camp. He put his arm around his old friend and lead him up a ladder hidden in the trees, to a large room full of food. _"It is good to see you Titus. Please, sit, eat. You and your friends are welcome for as long as you like"._ Dante ordered some of his own to set up rooms for their new guests.

Not many others were in the room, as it was quite late. Most of the clan would have gone back to their own rooms to join their families. The four guests and the Tree-top leader filled their plates with the food before them.

 _"What brings you here then Titus? Important business?"_ Dante asked as he chewed the meat with his mouth open. Surprised as he was at the visit, Dante was always happy to entertain. This especially applied to those from the Capitol, he was well known for his loyalty to the coalition and the Commander.

Titus swallowed the berries allowing him to speak. _"Yes, much business. We are very grateful for your kind welcome."_ The other three warriors nodded in appreciation aimed at Dante. _"We will be staying less than a week. If our mission is successful, we will return back to the capital."_

Dante licks each finger, lets out a belch and took a gulp of mead from his cup. _"So mysterious all the time Titus! Why not have some fun!? I know what will lighten the mood." He turned to the other guests "'ere listen, I've got some good stories about your adviser!"_

Titus felt his body heat rise from frustration. _This is no time to joke. I have to find Wanheda or I can never return to the capital and continue my duties to the coalition._ Titus' thought process was quickly interrupted by Dante slapping him on the back laughing.

 _"Do you remember that Titus? Hahaha! Those were the days. I'm afraid your leader 'ere as gotten more serious over the years."_ Titus knew that his old friend hadn't done anything wrong. He pushed down his frustration and let out a fake, quiet laugh.

After many drinks (for everyone bar Titus) it was only their group in the room. Dante asked one of his people to show the accompanying warriors to their beds. Titus began to stand to excuse himself to bed also.

 _"Woah, old friend. We are not done 'ere! I want to hear all about this secret mission."_ Dante stared at Titus with the biggest grin possible on his face. He looked down at Dante still smiling _"I'm afraid, the less you know the better, friend."_

The adviser began to walk away when Dante suddenly grabbed his arm, causing him to turn back and face him. _"Listen, we go back a long time. If I can help, I will, so let me."_ Titus held eye contact with the clan leader for a few seconds before sighing and finding himself back in his seat. Titus explained that the Commander has sent him to look for Wanheda.

 **Xxxxxxxxx**

 _Lexa found herself standing in a familiar place. She looked up at the sky, hoping for a glimpse of what she felt to be a beautiful sight; the stars. There was no hope. The orange smoke engulfed the air, she could barely see her own hands before her. The Commander heard a scream nearby that instantly took her attention. She knew that voice, it was Clarke's._

 _The smoke before Lexa cleared ever so slightly, while two of her grounder subjects emerged holding an arm each like a prisoner. She was right, it was Clarke. Without a thought, Lexa sprinted towards the sky leader before realising she was stuck in place. She herself was also being held back by grounders. The sudden wave of panic ran through her veins._

 _"LET ME GO! I ORDER YOU TO RELEASE ME!" The Commander screamed at the people that should bow to her. Her eyes started to fill as she used all her might to try and run again. It was no use. The famous Heda dropped to her knees. She had been defeated._

 _More grounders surrounded Lexa and Clarke, forming a circle around them. She counted 13. Titus suddenly appeared with a wood box in his hands. He bowed in front of his leader and started to chant what sounded like a prayer. The other grounders started to repeatedly chant the same phrase "Wamplei kom union."_

 _As the commander fought back the tears in her eyes, her vision was slightly clearer. She noticed a marking on the seal of the wooden box. It was a burning tree in a circle. Her heart thumped louder than any war drum could. She knew that symbol._

 _Titus opened the box revealing a small vile of liquid. Lexa knew what was about to happen. She was about to watch the girl she cared for deeply, drink poison, and there was nothing she could do. "NO! TAKE ME INSTEAD!" The passionate sincerity left the leaders lips, but it was too late. Clarke was dead._

Like most mornings, Lexa sharply awoke in a puddle of her own sweat from the recurring nightmare. She gasped for breath and reached for the water beside her. That dream must have been the most vivid of them all to date. Every smell, every face, every detail was clearer than ever. She knew that symbol, but why is it relevant? Why would it be in her dreams.

The sun was halfway through its rising process, but she had always been an early bird. She happily removed herself from her bed – despite the fact that she was still exhausted – and walked to her wardrobe. Lexa decided that she wanted to wear lighter and more subtle clothes today. She hoped this way she wouldn't have to entertain many people. But how can you hide when you are the Heda?

She slipped out the back, thinking she wouldn't be noticed. Unfortunately for her, she was seen. The Commander took a horse and headed a little out of the city, she needed to get away, even just for an hour. Lexa dismounted her horse, stroked it's face before tying her stead to a post, preventing it from running off too far. She had arrived at her favourite place.

The Leader didn't go inside, she just sat on the wooden porch, crossed legged with her hands on her lap and eyes closed. She was becoming one with the world around her. Not hearing but listening to the nearby running water and the birds accidently snapping branches beneath them. She felt the ice in the wind grow colder as the seasons started to change. Meditation was her only true escape.

Light footsteps could be heard in the near distance. The Commander kept her eyes shut as they were familiar to her. _"Indra, what news do you disturb me with?"_ Lexa asked with a slight sound of annoyance in her tone.

Indra moved a little closer before she spoke. _"I apologise, Commander. There is no news, I just worry for you. I saw you leave and wanted to check on your safety as a loyal subject, and as a friend"._ Lexa knew that Indra did not reveal her emotions lightly.

The leader opened her eyes to face her friend. _"Thank you, Indra, you are kind. What I am about to tell you, remains between us. Do you understand?"_ Indra nodded to her Commander and sat down opposite on the grass. Lexa explained the dreams, the emotions and the box with the symbol on it. As she described her dreams to her friend, she felt the wind being knocked out of her as she relived it again.

 _"You say you know of this box, Commander?"_ The warrior asked Lexa with an obvious confused expression plastered over her face. It was a lot to take in for Lexa herself, let alone explaining it to someone else. _"Yes."_ The leader replied. _"It was my mother's box."_

 **Xxxxxxxxx**

Clarke stared at the ceiling in Celia's spare bed and tried to process all of her thoughts. _What does this all mean? The symbol must have something to do with Celia, it the same marking was on her box? What do I do? And what is this prophecy that involves Lexa?_

The Skaikru leader, wasn't going to fall asleep any time soon. She didn't want to. Why would she want to watch Lexa die over and over again? Clarke clenched the sheets beneath her with both hands in a fist. She needed a distraction.

The blonde decided that the best thing to do was to remove herself from bed. _Maybe I could take a closer look at that box?_ She thought. Clarke tip-toed down the stairs, walked into the main room on the first floor and suddenly jumped out of her skin. "Celia, you scared me. I'm sorry I couldn't sleep."

Celia turned to the girl in the doorway. "I am not surprised. You must have a lot on your mind. Please join me." She pointed to the seat next to her. Clarke sat down and stared at the beautiful painting on the wall. "Clarke, why were you alone in the woods?"

The Sky leader took her concentration away from the landscape and looked down to her hands in her lap. "It's a long story. I ran away." Celia had a puzzled look on her face. "Clarke, even the trees have ears. I know that the Heda betrayed you and your people, But what are you running from? Why didn't you go back home?"

Clarke let out a deep sigh and lent back on her chair. "Myself. That's what I'm running from. Not my people, not Lexa, but myself. I have done…" She wipes the tear from her cheek and took a deep breath. "I have done so many terrible things. So much blood is on my hands. The truth is I'm scared. I'm scared that this is who I am, a killer." She couldn't fight the tears any longer.

The grounder instantly stood, lifted Clarkes chin and looked her in the eyes. "We all have to do things to survive. You need to listen to what I'm about to say. You have saved more lives than you have taken. Grounders and Skaikru, many still breathe all because of you."

The girl found comfort in this thought. She manged to flash a weak smile at her new friend. "Thank you." She whispered. Celia walked over to her bookcase and picked something up. She handed Clarke a small notebook and a pencil. "Write down everything you can think of about the dreams. Like I said, I am just the messenger and you need to figure out what this message means."

Clarke nodded and wrote down every painful detail she could remember. The ways in which Lexa died each time, the symbol, the emotions felt, the words that were said, everything. She closed the book and placed it on the table. The woman rested her hand on Clarke's shoulder. "You have the message, I can now take the dreams away." With that note, she positioned herself in front of Clarke, held her head in both hands and muttered words under her breath.

"It is done" Celia said to her guest as she opened her eyes. "What are you going to do?".

Clarke thought for a while taking extra care in not forgetting anything. She sighed and turned to the woman. "I need to see Lexa". She knew that she wasn't ready, but she had to.

Celia nodded and agreed that it seemed to be the best idea. She gave Clarke a bag packed with food and water. "You will go to Tree-top clan. Ask for Dante, say that Celia sent you. It is only a few miles from here and you will be given a horse and a bed if you require. Leave soon, you should arrive at first light. And remember Clarke, look up, they live in the trees."

Clarke thanked Celia for helping her the way she had. She packed her new notebook and her weapons, looked back at her new friend and took her by the hand. "May we meet again, Celia."

 **Xxxxxxxxx**

It was the start of a new day and for the first time in what seemed too long, Titus was enjoying the sounds of the birds tweeting and the leaves rustling. It took him a moment longer than usual to find the will power to get out of bed.

He felt his eyes slowly closing shut when he was suddenly startled by the banging vibrations beneath him. The adviser jumped up and looked down out of the window. It was Dante, bashing a hammer at the tree his room was on. Titus surprisingly felt relief to see his friend rather than anger.

"Titus my friend, you need to come down now!" Dante shouted up from the ground. "You are going to want to see this!". Titus got dressed as quick as he could and instantly forgot how relaxed he felt just second ago.

Once climbed down his ladder, he was greeted by everything he least expected.

"Clarke form Skaikru. What are you doing here?" The man stood in complete shock. He couldn't believe his luck.

"Do you always act so surprised when you greet people?" Clarke let out a small laugh to herself. "I need to see the Commander. I was told to come here first, for a horse from…a friend. That is when Dante told me Lexa has sent you to find me. Right, Perfect! Shall we leave now?" Clarke walked off without letting him respond. She couldn't help but have fun with the situation.

She walked over to Dante, they spoke briefly, and he gave her a horse as promised. She mounted her new mode of transport and waved back at Dante, thanking him again. She turned and looked back at Titus, still stood in shock. "Are you joining me, or shall I find my own way? As much as I would prefer that, I might get a little lost."

Titus simply nodded, gathered his men and horses, and rode towards the capital.

A few miles outside the capital, they came to a sign that demanded no weapons beyond this point. As they all removed their gear, Titus apologised to Clarke and quickly shoved a brown sack over her head. "I'm afraid you cannot know the route ahead from hear Wanheda."

The tallest of the adviser's warriors, threw Clarke over his shoulder and shoved her in front of him on his horse,

Thankfully for Clarke, it was only a few miles. She felt being taken off the horse and guided through a building and up what she assumed was some sort of a lift. The Sky leader tried to count her steps and the directions they took, but it proved too difficult. She chuckled to herself thinking that even Raven would struggle with that task.

A sudden halt happened and one of the warriors has shoved Clarke down, until she fell to her knees. Once knelt, the sack was removed from her head and it took her eyes a few seconds to adjust to the new-found light. The sun beamed from the window ahead around a figure stood above her. "Welcome, Clarke of Skaikru, it has been too long" a familiar voice spoke out loud. As the sky leader's vision became sharp again, she saw who was before her.

"Lexa…thank you for having me. We need to talk".


	3. Chapter 3 - Aligning the Stars

Chapter 3 – Aligning the Stars

Authors Note:

Hi Everyone! I would just like to thank everyone that has so far read my first ever story and have messaged me some feedback. I honestly really appreciate everyone's thoughts, it can only help my story grow!

I'm sorry if the last part of the second chapter seemed rushed. I had more plans for it, but I decided it was a little irrelevant in the end and wanted to get straight to the point. Lexa and Clarke have finally met now, so thank you for being patient with the two of them being apart. I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

 _Italics = thoughts_

 _Italics in quotation = Trigedasleng (Grounders language)_

 **Star-crossed Prophecy**

Chapter 3 – Aligning the Stars.

This morning's meeting at camp Jaha felt quite empty to chancellor Abby with the absence of some of their most important figures. As always, she did the best that she could to force her worries to the back of her mind; the role of a leader often proved difficult when separating the heart from the head. With the search team out, it only added to her nerves. She now had more lives to worry about, not just for political reasons, but they were firstly her friends.

Once the meeting adjourned, as usual, Abby headed straight over to medical. She walked in to find Dr. Jackson explaining some of different types of medicine they had stocked in their cabinet, to two apprentices. The chancellor listened and waited patiently for the doctor to finish.

"I don't want to fill your heads with too much information in one sitting, so please let me know if I'm going to fast. Now, there are a few people outside. I want you both, on your own, to give their vital signs a quick check over and write it on your charts. Just how I have been showing you all week". With that, the two apprentices did as Jackson asked.

Abby walked over to the doctor and smiled. "You're a good teacher you know?" Jackson smiled before removing the medical chart Abby held in her hands. "And you Abby, need to rest." The doctor turned around and placed the chart on a table behind him, adding to the stack of others. "Jackson, I'm fine! Now, I just need to check over th-" he interrupted her. "You have been working around the clock Abby. Take it easy today. Take the day off from being doctor. I'll shout you if I need you".

On any other day, the chancellor wouldn't even consider this. She thought about his suggestion and how physically and emotionally drained she was. She just nodded and placed her arm on his, as a thank you gesture. Abby knew that before she could try and rest, she needed to first speak to Raven.

"Wick, I'm not in the mood!" The new lab that Raven and Wick worked in was in a state. Raven was frantically searching high and low, throwing items off shelves while Wick sat in the corner of the room, chuckling behind his hand. "This isn't funny. Where is it?" Raven was getting more and more frustrated as she had clearly not found what she was looking for.

Wick stood up looking pleased at himself. "Looking for this?" He flashed the biggest grin and held up a tiny screw driver. Raven threw dagger eyes at him. "You're such a dick!" She stormed over to him, punched him in the arm and snatched the tool out of his hands before continuing her project. Wick rubbed his arm still grinning.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything?" The chancellor had been leaning in the door way for the majority of the conversation. She walked towards the table Raven was sat at and stared at the small device in front of her. "How is it coming along guys?"

Raven rolled her eyes whilst fiddling with the device. Without looking up at Abby she said, "It's still not finished if that's what you're asking". Dr. Griffin sat down sensing the frustration emitted by the girl. "Raven, what's wrong? Are you in pain with your leg?"

As soon as Raven heard the conversation change to her leg, she shot up from her chair and threw the screwdriver on the table. "No, it's not my leg. Why is it that I can't have a single conversation without it being about my god damn leg?! It's this stupid device, I can't get it to work."

The room was silent for a moment while the chancellor looked down, feeling guilty. "Raven, I just -" She was interrupted by the mechanic storming out the room "I'm taking a break."

 **Xxxxxxxxx**

After a night of watch rotation, the grounded Ark's search crew had packed away their tents and were ready for some quick breakfast. They were soon all sat on the floor eating fruit. Bellamy broke the silence. "So, what's the plan?" he aimed towards Kane, as he finished his last mouthful of food.

"This is all new territory. We may have passed by here and there, but we haven't searched these woods. I think the most logical route would be to follow the river. Clarke would have known not to drift too far from water." Bellamy nodded in approval at Kane's plan.

Lincoln lifted his head to speak. "There is a river not too far from here, 2 maybe 3 miles. I know the way". He looked to his left at Octavia. She lent slightly upwards towards him and kissed his cheek.

A few minutes passed when Kane decided to stand from his sitting position. "Are we ready to leave?" he asked the group. The rest of them followed his actions, getting to their feet and collecting their belongings. Lincoln lead the party in the direction towards the river.

An hour must have passed when they finally reached the river. Kane grabbed Lincoln's shoulder and thanked him for his direction. He stepped forward to access the environment. Bellamy approached the river, crouched down and splashed his face. _Where are you Clarke?_ He thought to himself.

Lincoln filled his flask up with water before suggesting they head north up the river. "North? Are you sure we should not head further East?" Kane asked. Lincoln shook his head. "The river doesn't run far East. It heads north past Tondc all the way to the capitol." Octavia took her place next to her man. "Good thinking. Let's go". With Octavia's lead, they continued their journey.

The crew kept within the trees with the river flowing to their right. Chatter was kept to a minimum as they had to have their eyes and ears peeled for anything. They had to remember that they were no longer protected by grounders after the Commanders betrayal.

After only a few miles, Octavia suddenly jumped off her horse and whispered for everyone to get down and find cover. The party rushed individually to hide themselves as silently as possible. They all held their positions and listened to what sounded like footsteps from nine, maybe 10 people.

Lincoln managed to see through a gap in the rock he was knelt behind. _Ice Nation_ he thought to himself. He held is hand out beside him, gesturing to the team to stay hidden for a few moments. When Lincoln thought it was safe to speak, still at a whisper, he told the others to come out.

"It is the Ice Nation, they seem to be heading North as well." They all looked at each other in confusion with a hint of worry, especially on Monty's face. "Why would the Ice nation be so far away from their lands?" Octavia asked Lincoln with a puzzled expression. But before he could answer Bellamy threw his bag over his shoulder and replied "I don't know. Let's find out, shall we?" Without waiting for an answer, he turned around and begun heading in the same direction as the grounders had left in.

The search party followed the Ice Nation grounders for another few miles before they came to a halt in a clearing in the woods. Far enough away from the grounders to notice, the team stayed hidden and watched their every activity. Monty turned to Bellamy, with a look on his face that questioned why the Ice Nation had suddenly stopped.

What seemed to be the leader of the group before them, stepped forward and started to shout in Trigedasleng. _"Show yourselves, we come as friends. Send out your leader."_ After the man's request, he took off the mask that was covering his face.

Lincoln gasped slightly and looked at Octavia and Kane. "Roan, Prince of the Ice Nation." The pair of them looked confused, Lincoln sensed this so elaborated. "It must be important if he is doing the whatever the goal is, himself."

They all lent a little closer as it seemed a large man fell from the sky. He walked towards the prince and knelt before him. _"Prince Roan, we welcome you and your warriors to Tree-top clan. Sorry for the wait, it takes a while to get down."_

Roan nodded, accepting the man's excuse. He walked over to the one knelt before him and pulled him back up to a standing position. _"Dante of Tree-top clan, we have met before and you seemed like a good man. Tell me, myself and my friends here are searching for something, and I think you can help me."_

The prince stopped pacing, looked at Dante and held his finger beneath his lips into a thinking position. _"I am sure it is already known that my mother, the Queen, is looking for Wanheda. I have been informed that you might be able to help me on my search."_

Dante shook his head with a confused expression. _"I am sorry Prince, we have heard the news but no sightings in this area. If I can help in anyway, let me know."_ Roan failed in hiding the look of disappointment spread across his face and he bowed his head slightly.

The Tree-top leader sensed the vibe from the prince. **_"_** _You all must be starving! 'Ere, let's get some food in your bellies, I insist!"_ Dante smiled at the Ice Nation trying to lighten the atmosphere.

Roan finally let out a small smile. _"You are right, thank you, food would be nice. Oh… But before we eat, I was wondering if you could tell me your opinion on a certain marking I have come across."_ Dante nodded and walked towards the prince watching him pull out a knife from his coat.

 _"What do you make of this symbol on the handle here?"_ The prince pointed to the marking on the weapon. Dante studied it for a moment before shaking his head is dismay. _"I'm sorry Prince Roan, I have never seen this symbol before."_ The prince smiled at the man to assure that he is not disappointed.

 _"Please Dante, let us eat, as you said. Lead the way."_ Roan gestured his hand out ahead of him so that he could follow behind. Dante smiled back and turned around to walk after a slight nod of the head. _"Now, most importantly, does the prince prefer beer or wi-"_ Dante suddenly stopped talking as blood poured from his mouth. The prince had slit his throat.

 **Xxxxxxxxx**

Lexa stared down at Clarke with a stern face, fighting to hold back the sense of relief in her stomach. Clarke was safe. She can be protected now in the capitol. The Commander turned around and sat on her throne. _"Leave us!"_ She ordered to the guards in room. _"Not you Titus."_ The adviser bowed his head, closed the main doors and stood in place next to Lexa.

Clarke felt that now was a good time to stand as she was assured, she wouldn't be quickly thrown to the ground again. The blonde was the first to open her mouth. "Do you mind if we speak in English now? I'm not yet fluent in your mother tongue." Lexa smiled slightly, she missed the girl's sarcasm. "Of course." She replied.

"You have hidden yourself well, Clarke of the sky people. I have been searching for months." The Commander felt that due to their last encounter at Mt Weather, proper formalities were in order. She knew there would be no chance of them picking back up where they left off. "I'm glad you're safe" Lexa added not much louder than a whisper. She cleared her throat and looked at the blonde for her response.

Ignoring Lexa's last sentence, Clarke was quick to respond as always. "Did you think that maybe I didn't want to be found? You couldn't even let me have that could you?" Clarke knew that she was here for a reason and it wasn't to repeat the betrayal Lexa had performed. But she couldn't help it. She could feel the anger, the hurt, burning her skin. "What do you want with me Lexa!?" She demanded.

The commander shot to her feet. "I'm trying to protect you!" Lexa tensed her fists as she became frustrated at the conversation. Clarke spat on the floor with disgust. "Protect me!? What, like the way you did at Mt Weather? I don't need your help, thanks. I've been doing fine on my own."

Lexa still hadn't released her tensed fists as the now added guilt knotted in her stomach. "Do not speak to the Commander like that!" Titus stepped forward pointing at the blonde. Lexa held her hand up at Titus which made him step back to his former position. The Heda's chest raised as she took a deep breath to calm herself down.

"The Sky leader is tired Titus, please excuse her and show her to the room she will be staying in". Titus nodded and walked towards Clarke. "What!? We are not done here Lexa." Clarke shoved Titus' hands off her arms, implying she could walk herself. "I'm sorry Clarke, I have much business to attend to today. We shall talk later." The Commander dismissed the pair before sitting back in her throne. She did have many things to do, but for the minute, she just needed to breathe.

Clarke was furious. All of her feelings from Mount Weather had rushed back like a shot of adrenaline straight to the heart. She felt like she had been banished to her room like a child. The Sky leader paced between the four walls of her temporary prison trying her best to calm down, but she struggled.

 _How dare she. How could she. She betrays me and my people and expects things to be back to how they were 3 months down the line!? Calm down Clarke. You're not here for revenge, you're here for information and that's all._

She tried to find some order in her thoughts. It was hard to hear them all over thumping in her head. _I just need to figure out what this vision means. One conversation, that's all it will take. Then I can walk away for good._ She straightened her thoughts as she poured herself some water that had been brought to her earlier. "Maybe I do just need some rest" the blonde sighed outload.

Lying on the bed, she took the time to appreciate the room she claimed her prison minutes before. In her whole time being on the ground, this room was the warmest she had seen. Clarke had almost forgotten that she hadn't slept the night before. The comfort of her head sinking into the pillow was her reminder. She had no intention to sleep, but to just rest her eyes.

A sudden opening of the door awoke Clarke from the slumber she didn't know she was in - making her heart rate that little bit faster. Lexa walked in with a plate full of food. "I thought you might be hungry." Clarke moved to the edge of the bed and remained silent.

The Commander stood in the doorway until she realised Clarke wasn't going to speak any time soon. She closed the door behind her and placed the plate on a nearby table. After taking a few steps closer to the bed, Lexa stood still and without realising started twiddling her thumbs in front of her as a nervous habit.

Lexa opened her mouth to speak but then soon closed it. She had been waiting to see Clarke for what felt like forever. All the conversations and the way they panned out in her head, yet when the moment finally came, she felt speechless. Clarke just stared at the leader before her, partly wishing she wasn't there.

"I'm sorry we couldn't talk before, but I was busy." Another long silence consumed the air around them. Lexa's nerves were at a peak as she struggled to hold her gaze. Clarke's eyes narrowed almost to a squint, triggered from the irritation that ignited every fibre in her being.

The Brunette wanted to give the conversation one last go before calling it a day. She thought this time that she would approach as The Commander as just Lexa didn't seem to be working as it once would. "The Ice Nation Queen Nia is looking for you. That's why I sent for you, like I said, to protect you. She wants you dead, so she can steal Wanheda's power."

Clarke's anger suddenly burst out of her. "Protect me!? More like control me!" Clarke jumped up to her feet causing Lexa to subconsciously step back in to an automatic defensive stance. Clarke followed her retreat and squared up to the Commander who responded with a simple chin lift, keeping her head high.

"Don't act like none of this is political Lexa. This wasn't for your own peace of mind, this is just to protect the crown on your head." The Commander had seen Clarke angry before, but never to this extent aimed at herself. She almost informed Clarke that she didn't wear a crown, but soon understood that it must be an expression.

Lexa too started to become frustrated at the situation as Clarke refused to believe her good intentions. If anyone else spoke to her in this manner, they would be imprisoned, if not killed. "Clarke you are not listening to me. I told you, I am trying to keep you safe."

"Bullshit!" Clarke snapped at the brunette, leaning even closer, almost knocking the leader's nose with her own. She turned around and started walking in the opposite direction, before she spun back after only a few feet. She had changed her mind, Clarke was not finished just yet. "If you cared so much for my safety Lexa, then why the hell did you leave me and my people out there? We needed you!" she yelled, before finishing in barely a whisper "…I needed you."

The sky leaders voice grew louder by the sentence. "You hurt me. Do you understand that? I thought we were friends. I thought we were more than just an alliance. I thought I was over this, but I'm not. Do you know how much I've suffered? I thought I could do this… see you, but I can't."

Clarke faced to the side to try and hide the tears already halfway down her cheeks. Lexa hadn't had a chance to speak, she had so much she wanted to explain, feelings to admit but she couldn't even begin form the right words. "Clarke, I had no choice! You cannot say that if you had the option to save your people from any pain, any deaths, that you wouldn't?" She finally managed to spit the words out.

"No, I wouldn't betray you Lexa." Clarke replied still looking away to the wall on her right. "Not even to save your people? Your friends? Your own mother?" The Commander knew that her reasoning was starting to sink in as there was no answer. Her judgment was wrong in trying to comfort Clarke with a hand on her shoulder. Clarke made this known by swiping Lexa's hands away and grabbing the scruff of her collar.

Lexa held in a deep breath. She didn't fear for her life, but the emotional strain on her heart almost killed her. The Commander too couldn't hold back her tears – this in itself struck Clarke more than coming words. "I'm sorry… Clarke… Forgive me."

The Sky leader gripped the collar in her grasp a little tighter before pushing Lexa backwards.

"Just go" Clarke whispered before turning away from the Commander again. Lexa nodded, despite it being to the back of the blonde's head and walked out the room. As soon as she heard the door close, Clarke dropped to her knees and broke down.

 **Xxxxxxxxx**

It had been a couple of hours since Clarke and Lexa had their argument. The sky leader had managed to compose herself. She didn't want to admit it either, but the food helped; it wasn't until she began eating that it became painfully obvious just how hungry she was.

The girl remained seated once finished and slouched back with a sigh. She replayed what she could of the argument over and over trying to evaluate everything. It all happened so fast, she didn't have the time or energy to have processed much in the heat of the moment.

Clarke thought mainly on what Lexa said about if the roles were reversed, in a more logical manner. That is after all, how the Commander viewed situations. ' _Pain is weakness'_ , she thought to herself. Ultimately it came down to one factor, putting your own people first. Clarke had always struggled to see the betrayal as black and white as that. The problem is, unlike Lexa, Clarke lead with her heart and not her head.

She was starting to see things more clearly now. That the Commander wasn't heartless, but strong. She didn't make the wrong decision, but the right one for her people as a whole. The Blonde admitted that maybe she had been a little too harsh. She knew that at the very least, Lexa would have to earn her trust back, but she couldn't fault her choice that day as a leader. She was tired of hating her, it was exhausting.

Clarke lent forward, elbows on the table in front of her, rubbing her face with both hands. It was getting late. She looked over to the very tempting bed across the room and almost gave in to it. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep much tonight, despite running off no sleep already and that the vivid dreams would welcome her no more. No, she had to see Lexa and apologise first.

The leader finally lifted herself from the chair and went to open the door. Her hand lingered over the handle for a minute as the nerves rushed through her veins. It had always been hard to admit when she was wrong. _Pull yourself together Clarke. Keep it quick and painless._ She thought to herself. Gathering the courage to twist the handle, she finally opened her door and walked to the outside of the Commanders room.

"Just breath" she told herself followed by a few deep breaths. Her hand lifted above her head, hesitating at first, she knocked on the door. There was no response from behind the walls, so she took a risk and walked in anyway closing the door behind her.

Clarke stepped further into the room and found herself at awe of her current surroundings. Art on the walls of all different kinds, a large thick rug as the room's centrepiece, a seating area with the most beautiful sofa and to the far right, a huge bed fit for a queen.

She unexpectedly jumped out of her skin as the Commander appeared from what would assume to be a walk-in wardrobe, brushing her hair. Lexa's usual fast paced walk slowed at the sight of Clarke in her room, until she came to a final stop only a meter or so away. She had stopped brushing her hair at this point and held it with both hands slumped down at ease.

"Clarke? I did not expect to find you here…In my room." Lexa spoke calmly whilst raising an eyebrow expressing her confusion on the matter. "I'm so sorry! I…I wasn't thinking. I'm just gonna go…yeah." Clarke pivoted her body back to the door, squeezing her eyes shut with embarrassment.

"Wait!" Lexa said before Clarke had reached the door. "Please, stay." Clarke nodded at the Commander with a slanted mouth and followed her over to the seating area. They sat opposite each other in silence for a brief moment before the blonde couldn't take it much longer. "I came here to apologise. I thought about what you said before, about the roles being reversed, and I think I finally understand."

Lexa instantly looked down to her lap as she felt the familiar wave of guilt flood her stomach. "Lexa, you saved your people's lives that day. I know that the price was high for you and the choice wasn't made easily. I know that you care for me, I was just blinded by my own pain".

The Commander looked at Clarke with watery eyes and reached to hold her hand. Clarke almost pulled away, but she didn't. She found comfort in it. Instead, she smiled at Lexa, with her own tears starting to fall at their overdue reunion.

"Look, you're making me cry now" Clarke let out a small chuckle and sniffed. "Here, let me" She wiped Lexa's cheek before she could do it herself. "Thank you, Clarke" Lexa replied to her act of kindness. It was a very intimate thing for the leader to experience, but with the girl before her, it didn't faze Lexa.

"Lexa, why do you still have war paint on your face?" Clarke asked only just being able to notice through calm eyes. "The truth is, I have not fully taken it off since…that day. I need you to know that losing you was the hardest decision. I kept it on because I still felt at war…with myself." Lexa surprised herself at how much she had just opened up. She couldn't help but feel comfortable with the Sky leader.

"You haven't lost me Lexa…at least not anymore. I'm here now." She couldn't help but smile at the Commander. It wasn't a lie that she had missed her deeply. Clarke stood up and rinsed the cloth next to the basin with some water. She knelt in front of the brunette between her knees and took a second to just appreciate the sight before her.

"Clarke, you don't have to do-." Lexa was interrupted by shushing noises. She responded with a simple nod after a pause to think things through, giving permission. Clarke began slowly wiping the makeup off the Commanders face. Lexa closed her eyes and found herself instantly relaxed by the combination of the warm water on her face, and Clarke's delicate touch.

"That should do it" Clarke whispered causing Lexa to open here eyes. Her lips opened slightly subconsciously, as the pair held eye contact. She thought back to the time she kissed the blonde and how she promised herself she wouldn't initiate again.

Clarke couldn't help but find herself being pulled towards the Commander. Her sight repeatedly darted from her eyes to her lips. Lexa noticed that Clarke was slowly moving closer. It was proving very difficult, but she somehow managed to hold back. Clarke didnt understand what had taken over her. She took the leap of faith and pressed her lips against the Commanders.

It was a slow but passionate kiss. Clarke took control which made it clear to Lexa that she wanted it as much as she did in that moment. Lexa's right hand reached out and pulled Clarke closer by the back of the neck, forcing the kiss to deepen. The pace started to pick up a little as well as Clarkes breathing. Lexa squeezed her eyes tighter at the sound of the woman kissing her, being a little breathless.

Clarke held the Commanders head in both hands as she stood up, only to sit on Lexa's lap. The brunette was worried that the racing of her thumping heart could be heard over the kiss. Lexa had dreamt of this moment for so long. She found her hands automatically wondering along Clarkes waist when she suddenly broke the kiss, leaning her forehead on the blonde's chin and collected her breath.

Clarke kissed the top of her head as she tried to process what just happened. She didn't realise how much she had wanting the that until a couple of minutes ago. Lexa lifted her head to Clarkes eyeline and cleared her throat before she spoke. "It's getting late Clarke. I…as much as I would like to continue, you must get some sleep."

The Sky leader nodded and stood from Lexa's lap. Lexa followed her lead and stood up after her. It was silent for a moment, but not in an awkward way. Clarke reached out and held the Commanders hands. "I'm sorry if I…" she took a breath. "I wanted it too, Lexa. If I didn't than I wouldn't have kissed, you."

Lexa nodded and smiled slightly before lowering her chin to stare at the floor. Clarke sensed that Lexa didn't believe what she had just told her. She lifted her chin and gave her a soft peck. "I will say goodnight". Not allowing Lexa to respond, she left the room.


End file.
